This mango jicama slaw is really quick and easy to make. It doesn't have many ingredients, but the fantastic fresh flavors are so tasty. Try it on top of tacos or as a side salad.

plate of mango jicama slaw from overhead with cilantro, lime and other ingredients to side

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I'm not sure why, really, but I often used to associate tacos with warmer weather, for some reason (even my sweet potato tacos). Maybe it's partly that I generally thought of tacos as having some kind of slaw with them and that feels kind of summery. Though these days, we'll make any excuse for some carnitas tacos.

Either way, I think it's always worth having a few slaw recipes to pair with different filling, moods or just to enjoy as it is. This bright and crunchy Mexican-inspired slaw is perfect for tacos, plus it goes with plenty other things too.

wooden bowl with mango jicama slaw and wooden salad servers around it to mix and ingredients to side of bowl

A simple recipe (with scope to adapt)

This simple dish combines cabbage, jicama and mango as the base then you make a really simple lime dressing to bring it all together. Sometimes I just use lime juice, but I do think the extra balance of flavors in this dressing are worth that teeny bit extra effort.

I wouldn't suggest you skip any of the basic slaw ingredients, but you can certainly add to them if you like. You can add a little red pepper or carrot for extra color and crunch, or some red onion for an additional flavor. For all, slice in thin strips to try to keep the textures relatively consistent.

cilantro, jicama, mango, cabbage and lime with spices and oil to side

Using jicama

Jicama is a ingredient I didn't discover until I moved to the US (though I might have had it without unknowingly in Mexico before). It's a great ingredient in lots of things whether raw like this (and the Mexican chopped salad I made) or cooked.

Jicama is a root vegetable, with a mild flavor that's crunchy raw and softens when cooked. When raw, it is almost like a cross between cucumber and cabbage. However you use it, peel first. The flesh can discolor if you don't cook it or give a squeeze of lime or lemon.

A traditional Mexican way to enjoy it is cut into chunky fry-like strips and drizzle the raw chunks with lime and chili or tajin seasoning. Refreshing with a little kick!

mango jicama slaw served on top of taco with bowl of slaw to side

You can pair this slaw with your favorite taco filling, have it as a salad alongside other dishes such as grilled meat and fish or as part of lunch. Even better, the ingredients in this slaw hold up pretty well so you can keep any leftover for the next day.

I sometimes use some in tacos along with some leftover pork carnitas and avocado (as in picture above) which all work really well.

This mango jicama slaw is quick to make, fruity and crunchy with a nice fresh flavor and limey zing. A great change from your plain old cabbage - definitely worth trying soon.

Try these other summer side salads:

Mexican chopped salad
Grilled peach salad
Panzanella salad
Plus get more side dishes in the archives.

plate with mango jicama slaw from overhead

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5 from 2 votes